Windshield washer nozzle assembly



Aug. 4, 1959 w. J. NEWILL WINDSHIEILD WASHER NOZZLE ASSEMBLY Filed Nov. 20, 1957 INVENTOR. William-J New/ll His Aflomey United States Patent WlNDSI-HELD WASHER NOZZLE ASSEMBLY William J. Newill, Spring Valley, Ohio, assignor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Application November 20, 1957, Serial No. 697,573

4 Claims. (Cl. 239-410) This invention pertains to the'art of windshield cleaning, and particularly to an improved flushable nozzle assembly.

Heretofore, it has been proposed to design the washer nozzles of said Windshield cleaning systems so that the nozzle and/or the system could be cleaned of foreign matter by flushing. However, the prior systems have not been commercially adopted due to the complexity of the nozzle assembly thereby making the expense prohibitive. The present invention relates to a simple flushable nozzle assembly which does not require the removal of any parts to fiush the system in one embodiment, and in another embodiment to flush the system and clean the nozzle jet opening. Accordingly, among my objects are the provision of a 'fiushable nozzle assembly for windshield washers; the further provision of a nozzle assembly including a member. having a discharge spray orifice and a flushing orifice; and the still further provision of a nozzle assembly including means for back washing the spray orifice to clean the same. i

The aforementioned and other objects are accomplished in the present invention by embodying a rotatable nozzle element in the nozzle assembly. Specifically, two embodiments of an improved nozzle assembly are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, the nozzle element comprises a cylindrical member having diametrically opposed openings constituting a spray orifice and a flushing orifice. The cylindrical member is rotatably mounted in a housing, or fitting, and suitably restrained against axial movement. The' cylindrical member is rotatably supported by a self-lubricating plastic sleeve, such as nylon, having a portion of its periphery cut away so that when the cylindrical nozzle element is in one angular position the spray orifice is open, and when the nozzle element is rotated to another angular position, the flushing orifice is open. To facilitate manual angular adjustment of the nozzle element, a screw driver slot is formed in the closed end thereof.

In another embodiment, the nozzle element comprises a cylinder of self-lubricating plastic material, such as nylon, having an intermediate portion cut away and the remaining portion'having a spray orifice formed therein. The cylindrical element is: rotatably mounted in a housing having a cut-out portion which exposes a portion of the cylindrical element. The cylindrical element is likewise formed with an accessible screw driver slot to permit manual adjustment thereof. In the normal position, cleaning solvent is forced through the spray orifice and discharged onto the windshield of a vehicle. The element can be rotated to a position permitting the system to be flushed, and rotated to another position wherein the solvent is forced through the spray orifice in the reverse direction to back wash and thus clean the spray orifice.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, wherein preferred embodiments of the present invention are clearly shown.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of an embodiment of the nozzle assembly of this invention shown complete with a common wiper arm shaft housing.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary sectional view of the nozzle assembly shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of the nozzle assembly of Figure 1 shown in the flushing position.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of a nozzle assembly constructed according to a second embodiment of this invention.

Figures 5, 6 and 7 are sectional views taken along line 55 of Figure 4 indicating the three adjustable positions of the nozzle element of the second embodiment.

With particular reference to Figure 1, the nozzle assemblies of this invention are designed for use in a motor vehicle, and thus each nozzle assembly is. incorporated in a fitting, or housing, 10 mounted on the cowl portion of a vehicle, not shown, in which the pivot shaft, not shown, for a wiper arm is rotatably journalled. The wiper arm includes an inner socket section 12 drivingly connected to the pivot shaft and an outer section 14 which is spring biased towards the windshield and connected by a pivot pin 16 into the socket section 12. In a dual windshield Wiper installation, each housing is fitted with a nozzle assembly generally depicted by the numeral 18 in Figure 1 through which liquid solvent can be discharged onto the surface of the windshield into the path of a wiper blade carriedv by the wiper arm.

Referring to Figure 2, one embodiment of the nozzle assembly 18 comprisesa cylindrical nozzle element 20 having a screw driver. slot 22 in the exposed end thereof. The element 2.0 is formed with an external shoulder 24 located within a bore 26 of the housing 10. The housing 10 includes a fluid passageway 28 through which liquid solvent is supplied under pressure by a suitable pump, not shown, in a manner well known in the art.

The nozzle element 20 is formed with a passage 30 which terminates short of the closed outer end of the element, the passage 30 communicating with the passage 28 in the housing 10 as well as with diametrically opposed spray and flushing orifices 32 and 34. The nozzle element 20 is rotatably journalled in the housing 10 by a nylon sleeve 36 having an external shoulder 38 and a cut-away portion indicated by numeral 40. The nozzle element and the sleeve 36 are maintained in assembled relation with the housing 10 by a nut 42.

In Figure l, the nozzle element 20 is angularly adjusted so that the spray orifice 32 is open while the flushing orifice 34 is closed by the sleeve 36. In this position, liquid solvent can be discharged onto the Windshield through the spray orifice 32. Inasmuch as the spray orifice 32 is of minute size any foreign matter in the solvent reservoir will eventually find its way to the spray orifice 32 and clog the same. In order to flush the washing system of foreign matter, the nozzle element 20 can be rotated .by inserting a screw driver in the slot 22 from the position of Figure 1 to the position of Figure 2 wherein the spray orifice 32 is closed and the flushing orifice 34 is open. The flushing orifice 34 permits a large volume of solvent to flow freely therethrough to flush the system i and remove impurities therefrom.

With particular reference to Figures 4 through 7, a

.second embodiment of a fiushable nozzle assembly is depicted. In the second embodiment, the nozzle assembly 50 is mounted in a housing 52. A housing 52. has a peripheral cut-out portion indicated by numeral 54. The nozzle assembly 50 includes a nozzle element 56 composed of nylon which is substantially cylindrical except formed. The housing 52 is formed with a fluid passageway 64 which communicates with the cut-out portion 58 of the nozzle element 56. In addition, the nozzle element 56 has a screw driver slot 66 in the exposed end thereof to facilitate manual angular adjustment thereof.

In the modified embodiment, when the nozzle element 56 is in the position of Figures 4 and 5, liquid solvent will be discharged through the spray nozzle 62 onto the windshield of the vehicle. To flush the system, the nozzle element 56 is rotated to the position of Figure 6, wherein the cut-out portion 58 forms a flushing orifice that connects with the fluid passageway 64 in the housing 52. In addition, the nozzle element 56 can be rotated in the position of Figure 7 wherein the spray orifice 62 communicates directly with the fluid passageway 64- so that liquid solvent is forced in the reverse direction through the orifice to back wash the same and remove all foreign matter from the spray orifice 62.

From the foregoing it is readily apparent that the present invention discloses a manner in which simple and economical flushable nozzle assemblies can be designed which permit easy flushing of the system, and in the modified embodiment permit back washing of the spray orifice to remove foreign matter therefrom,

While the embodiments of the present invention as herein disclosed constitute preferred forms, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted.

What is claimed is a follows:

1. A flushable nozzle assembly for windshield washers including, a housing having a fluid passageway therein, a nozzle element mounted in the housing and having a passage communicating with the passageway therein, said nozzle element having a spray orifice and a flushing orifice, and an annular member rotatably supporting said nozzle element in said housing and having an arcuate portion partially circumscribing said nozzle element, said arcuate portion coacting with said nozzle element to close said flushing orifice and open said spray orifice in 4 one angular position of said nozzle element and to close said spray orifice and open said flushing orifice in another angular position of said nozzle element.

2. In a windshield washer, a rotatable nozzle element having a spray orifice and a flushing orifice, and an annular member rotatably supporting said nozzle element and having an arcuate portionlpartially circumscribing said nozzle element, said arcuate portion coacting with said nozzle element to close said spray orifie in one angular position of said nozzle element and to open said spray orifice in another angular position of said nozzle element.

3. In a windshield washer, a rotatable nozzle element having a spray orifice, a flushing orifice, and a screw driver slot to facilitate manual angular adjustment thereof, and an annular member rotatably supporting said nozzle element and having an arcuate portion partially circumscribing said nozzle element, said arcuate portion coacting with said nozzle element to close said flushing orifice in one angular position of said nozzle element and to open said flushing orifice in another angular position of said nozzle element.

4. The nozzle assembly set forth in claim 1 wherein said nozzle element comprises a cylindrical member having an intermediate cut-away portion with said spray orifice formed therein, and wherein said cylindrical member can be angularly adjusted to one position so that said cut-away portion constitutes said flushing orifice to another angular position wherein fluid will flow through said spray orifice in the reverse direction to effect backwash cleaning of said spray orifice.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,538,905 Horton Ian. 23, 1951 2,598,601 Roppe May 27, 1952 2,609,561 Wernig Sept. 9, 1952 2,765,197 Chimbole Oct. 2, 1956 

